Oil vs Water Based Sealer

[rossmo]

Guy at large national home supply chain told me best way to maintain saltillo was to strip it and apply oil based sealer. He also said don't put gloss coats on and simply drop some water on it every 4-6 months and if it doesn't bead up apply more sealant. No need to strip it all the way down. Made sense.

Problem is he sold me the tile and stone sealer and it immediately stained up after applying it. I called the manufacturer and they said that what I used was the wrong product for saltillo and I should have used the super sealer product. They said I could apply it w/o restripping. Well I went back to the store and the price of the correct product is about 6X the cost of the one for tile and stone. It will cost a small fortune to do my home's tile (about 1700 sq ft). I applied the tile and stone sealer to about 50% of the house.

Am I stuck using an oil based product of the same manufacturer?

Do I have to continue using oild based products or can I switch back to water based?

If I can use water based, any special steps needed before applying?

I have super saltillo which is extremely porous and stains easily.

Thanks
SJ
Phx

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[Davestone]

I don't know what's going on,and i wish HD and Lowes would stop helping people.You are much better off using saltillo specific sealers,you need thick sealers on that tile.You said staining, isn't it just a darkening that happened? Some sealers will do that to saltillo, and it's a desired effect.Why not use a saltillo specific sealer oil based that will give you whatever look you want?You can have a sheen,a darkening, a matte,whatever you want,here's a link...http://www.aldonchem.com/index.html

[rossmo]

The staining didn't occur when I applied the sealer as the appearance of the tile did not change. However, stain spots did appear on the tile after several weeks of normal use. That led to the phone call to the manufacturer.

[StoneBuddy]

Is this a topical sealer or an impregnating one?

If it is an oil-based impregnator then you didn't apply enough to prevent staining. I would go with a topical sealer. Lasts longer and a quick recoat is all you need to brighten it up again.

[rossmo]

I discussed the problem with several local tile cleaning companies and everyone has a different opinion on the right path to take. Some recommended stripping the tile completely using heavy duty paint removers etc. and going back to water based sealers. Others recommended using their brand of oil based sealants with a water based topical sealer. After calling Miracle Sealant, whose product I originally used, I have decided the simplest fix will be to try the Miracle Sealant Super Seal from HD. Will need to touch up oil spots before applying. Wish me luck. If anyone has an opinion, let me know quick so I won't continue making mistakes.